The present invention relates to an improved load beam for use in a head suspension for attachment to a rigid arm. One improvement consists of the provision of a support pad laterally extending from the base plate of the load beam and manufactured in one piece with the load beam, with the support pad reduced to a thickness less than the thickness of the load beam. The support pad is designed to provide support for electrical and/or optical connection means, such as wires, which interconnect the read/write head with appropriate circuitry at the actuator arm.
In addition, another improvement consists of the provision of a trough of reduced thickness at the base of a channel rail along the load beam, which channel, inter alia, supports the connection means intermediate the head and the actuator arm.
In assembling a load beam into a head suspension assembly for attachment to a rigid arm for use in dynamic storage devices of rigid disk drives, electrical and optical connection means are carried along the length of the load beam to connect the head at the flexure end of the load beam to appropriate head write driver/read preamplifier circuitry at the actuator arm. Often such connection means have been encased in Teflon or other tough, abrasion-resistant polymeric tubes which provide a measure of protection from abrasion and bending for the delicate fine gauged individual wires. Bent or U-shaped side flanges, often of a U-shaped or L-shaped profile, tab extensions or other means have been provided along the length of the load beam for securing this tubing.
In a continuing effort to reduce the Form Factor or overall size of the head suspension, the use of unprotected wires has recently been proposed. These tubeless insulated wires are generally of 40-50 gauge copper having an insulating layer of polyurethane and having a thickness ranging between about 0.00150 and 0.00260 inch. Typical composite and thin film heads currently typically use two or three wires twisted together. Heads of other technology, such as magneto-resistive heads, typically use five or six wires that are run in two twisted wire bundles. It is possible to use any number of wires for which connections can be made on the head itself. Wires need not be twisted, but can be run side by side, to further reduce head assembly height requirements.
Since these delicate and unprotected wires are brittle and of fine gauge, it is important that the surfaces with which they come in contact be smooth and very well radiused, to prevent unwanted abrasion and bending of the connection wires.
An extension from the base plate region of the load beam has been proposed as a situs for affixing such connection wires. According to currently existing technology, this type of extension, as illustrated in profile in FIGS. 1 and 2, has been through-etched along with the load beam from a single piece of sheet material, and generally has a concave or even a double-concave edge profile, which can present a sharp, knife-like edge which can act to cut or shave the insulation layer of the connection means.